Bruce S. Weinberg Biography

Bruce S. Weinberg

American

1942-1994

Biography

Bruce Stephen Weinberg was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1942 to Harry and Mollie Cohen Weinberg. He studied Interior Design at the Philadelphia College of Art and Architectural Space Planning at Temple University. During the 1970s he studied printmaking and drawing at San Francisco's Fort Mason Art Center.

Bruce created limited edition etchings as well as monoprints on his handmade paper. He was best known for multi-plate color hand pulled etchings of rugs and tapestries, which appear three dimensional with folds, fringes and turned up corners. Etchings were executed by use of traditional hard and soft ground etching technique. Employing multiple copper etching plates, these images were printed on fine rag paper, some with embossed borders.

Truly mixed media works, Weinberg went through many stages and processes to create the finished designs. His works are rich in texture and color and show an incredible attention to detail. Weinberg's early artwork was influenced by design elements found in Middle Eastern textiles, architecture, exotic animals and an enchantment with Southwestern and American Indian design.

In 1985 Weinberg began experimenting with techniques to produce paper for his etching plates. These papers were freeflowing colored cotton pulps, beautifuly textured with repeat patterns or marbelized, sometimes enhanced with gold, silver and copper leaf. Artworks in themselves, they constituted the base for his color etching on handmade paper.

In 1990 he created "Tokyo Suite", his contemporary interpretation Japanese art. "Tokyo Suite" is composed of ten abstract etchings on handmade paper. These pieces may be considered a single art work of ten or any combination of individual etchings. In 1992 he produced the series "Ancient Masters", a group of four etchings based on sculptured heads typical of Assyrian, Greek, Cambodian and Italian Renaissance styles.

Weinberg in his later years became involved in the creation of monoprints. These artworks carry bold, abstract, geometric and calligraphic designs which further explore American Indian motifs and post modern architecture.

Bruce S. Weinberg died in San Francisco, California on January 26, 1992.